Dancing on the beach
by Tanja
Summary: Mulder is remembering a little girl dancing on the beach


Title: Dancing on the beach (1/1) Author: Tanja E-mail address: voet@tanja-myrna.demon.nl/ http:/www.angelfire.com/oh/xfshippers/index.html Rating: PG Category: S, R Spoilers: none Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance Summary: Mulder remembers a girl that was dancing on the beach. 

Disclaimer: You know I'm getting pretty tired of writing this every time. But o.k. since he made them, Mulder, Scully, Maggie Scully and Skinner aren't mine, they all came from the great mind of Chris Carter and also belong to 1013 Productions and Fox Network. The song is from Bad English and is called Time Stood Still. Author's notes: I was working on another story when I heard the song. I loved it and it kept playing in my mind, so I wrote this story to get rid of it. Hope you like it. WARNING: If you don't like Mulder & Scully Romances, I don't think it's a good idea to read this story, you might get an overdosis of romance in this story. Sorry, but I like writing romances, it's all I can :-D. Traci, once again thank you for the time and effort you put in my stories. I really really appreciate it. Trust me everyone, if she wouldn't do this, my English would suck! 

Dancing on the beach (1/1) This was not his Scully, not his Dana. This was a woman who looked like her, lying in the hospital bed, her eyes closed, tubes in her mouth. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again to see Maggie Scully and Walter Skinner walking into the hospital room. She had a tired look on her face but tried to smile when she saw him. Mulder remembered that last week when Scully had said: "I think my mother is seeing someone, but she won't tell me who it is." Well it looked like she was right and the man appeared to be their boss, Assistant Director Walter Skinner. "Hello Fox, how are you doing?" She studied his face with concern. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, while in reality it had all happened only 2 days ago. They had been working on a case and Dana had been shot. She had lost a lot of blood and they had to operate on her, but her conditions were still critical and she was in a coma. Mulder saw Maggie's concerned look. Oh, how he wanted to tell her he was fine, but he wasn't and he couldn't lie to her. "I....", he started to talk, then stopped and looked at Scully, then, as if he remembered something, he smiled for a second but, as quick as the smile had been there, it faded just as quickly again. "I want back the girl that was dancing on the beach as if the whole world was hers, the sun reflecting on her golden hair," his voice broke while he said it and tears came in his eyes. Skinner didn't understand, but Maggie did. "Oh Fox...", Maggie knew exactly what he meant and she didn't know what to say. She put her hand on his arm, but he didn't react, he was far away, lost in his thoughts. Thinking of the summers they had had together on the beach. She had always spent the summer with her whole family at her grandparents. The first time he had seen her she was having fun in the water, playing and dancing with his sister Samantha. Sam had been 8, Dana 10 almost 11, it had been the summer before Sam had disappeared. He had been 13, his mother had told him to watch the girls. Of course he hadn't want to, what would his friends think of him if he would hang around with two giggling little girls? Dana and Samantha didn't care, they just saw him as one of those stupid boys. Boys weren't fun at that age, just stupid. Especially older brothers. He remembered one night, dragging Sam with him because she hadn't want to come home for dinner. The next day he had heard Dana saying to Samantha, on the wise tone of a 10-year old: "My brother is just like your brother", and with a dramatic sigh she had said "boys". He grinned when he thought of it again. At the end of the summer Dana and Sam had said goodbye, made the promise to write each other and said that they would see each other again next summer. But there never came a next summer for Samantha, 6 months later, just before Christmas she had disappeared. Dana and her family came in the summer, but Fox and his family were not there. They were spending the summer in Europe, running away from memories. And they did the same the next two years. When he was 16 however, Fox had refused to go to Europe again, he wanted to stay home, hang around with his friends. So he had stayed with his grandmother. That summer he had seen her again. He was walking on the beach alone when he had seen her. Dancing in the water, her flaming red hair looked almost like gold in the sunshine. Laughing with her friends. After a while she had looked up and had seen him. He didn't think she would recognize him, but she did. She had walked to him, saying: "Hi Fox, it's been a long time. How are you?" He had taken the small hand that she had given him. That had been the beginning of their friendship. They could spend hours walking on the beach talking about all kind of things. But just as easily they could spend hours together, sitting or walking in silence. That summer something had happened. They had fallen in love, a children's love of course, but a special one, one with a promise for the future. They had only shared one kiss that summer, just before Dana was leaving with her family. But the next summer they had come back and the love was still there, maybe stronger then ever. At the end of that summer all the people in Chilmark had known: If you are looking for Fox, look for Dana and if you are looking for Dana, just look for Fox and you will find them, because they were always together. How much harder had it been to say goodbye that summer, despite the promise to stay in contact, which they did. And another summer had come, their last one together, because Fox would be moving to England to study at Oxford. Two months had not been enough, but they had no other choice then to say goodbye. Oxford had been hard on him, with the knowledge that there was not going to be a next summer with her. No more holding her in his arms, not to see the sun reflecting on her hair and in her eyes. But he learned to forget, he had put away the memories and feelings, because all it brought him was pain, so he pretended to be over it. He studied, lived his new life, in a new country, on a new school, with new friends. Friends who didn't know about a girl with bright blue eyes and golden hair. He stayed in England during the summer and the next summer he traveled through Europe with his friends. Until a few months after that trip. One day his roommate had found a picture of the two of them together on the beach, laughing in the camera happily. He had laughed, saying that it was an old picture and that the girl had been just a summer fling. But the damage had been done, memories flowing back in his mind sooner then he had tried to forget them. That's why he had gone back in the summer. His mother hadn't been there, she had been on some holiday with a friend but had said that he could always stay in the house of course. It had been strange to be back home. He had good and bad memories of Chilmark. Happy memories of growing up with Samantha. The summers he had spend there with Dana. But there were also the bad memories of the time that Sam had disappeared, the fights between his parents, the divorce not long after that. The whole summer he had hoped that he would see her again, but she didn't come. After a month he had given up the hope that he would ever see her again and had decided to go back to England two weeks earlier then planned. He had packed his things and gone to the beach to see it one last time before he left. And all of a sudden she was there, back out of nothing. Walking on the beach, almost dancing as if she had never left it. And as if she had known that he had been there, just standing there, looking at her, convincing himself that he wasn't dreaming, she had turned around. Slowly she had walked to him. Hesitantly asking: "Fox?" All he could do was nod. Taking her in his arms just to feel her close again. After a while she had looked up at him with the big blue eyes that he knew so well and had said: "Take me home Fox." No hesitation, not a question, just a statement like it was the only thing to do. That evening and night had been like coming home. The next morning he had woken up and had seen her standing in front of the window, staring outside. When he came to stand behind her, she had turned around, looking up the tears streaming silently down her face, saying the four words that had broken his heart. "I'm getting married Fox." He had wanted to scream: "No, you can't do that, not now, why?" But all he had asked her was: "when?" She had told him that she was going to be married in two and a half months later, with some guy she had met in school. He wanted to ask her why she had come back if she was getting married but he didn't have to instead he knew the answer. It was the same reason why he had returned that summer, to see if the feelings were only part of his memories or if they were still there. After that she had wanted to leave, but he had stopped her. "Two last weeks, only you and me, that's the last thing I'll ever ask from you." She had stayed, not caring about the rest. But after two weeks it had really been over, saying goodbye now meant forever. "Fox?" Maggie asked softly, concerned, wondering if he was alright. "Huh, oh I'm sorry." He looked up, he had been so lost in his memories he hadn't realized that there were still more people in the room. "Are you alright?" She put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him, but not knowing how. He touched her hand, squeezing it. "Don't worry I'll be fine, I'm going home to have some sleep. When he had left Skinner asked: "Either I'm missing the point here or he's really losing it. Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" She slowly nodded. "Yes I do, let's go to my house, I will explain it to you, but for that I have to show you something first." They drove to Maggie's house. Walking in, Maggie walked straight to Dana's old room, looking for a photo album she knew Dana had kept somewhere in there. After a few minutes she found it in a box with other old photo albums. She took it out of the box and looked into the album. The album was a collection of pictures from the summers spent in Chilmark. Mostly pictures of Dana and Fox and a couple of Dana and Samantha. Maggie took the album downstairs and sat down on the couch next to Skinner, who was waiting curiously for what she was going to tell him. She was silent for a moment, then said "Just take a look at the pictures first, they should say enough." She handed him the album, which he slowly opened, not knowing what to expect. He saw a picture of two girls, playing on the beach. He recognized one as Dana Scully he recognized Dana Scully, but he didn't recognize the other girl, although she looked familiar, as if he had seen her before. But his mouth fell open when he saw the next few pages. He recognized them both immediately. He looked up in surprise. "They knew each other before?" Maggie smiled. "We used to spend our summers in Chilmark, the first year we were there Dana met Samantha, his sister and they became friends. He was just the stupid older brother at that time, at the end of that year Samantha disappeared. The family spent the next three summers in Europe, but when he was 16, Fox stayed home with his grandmother. Then they met again, and became friends. And the inevitable happened, they fell in love. The next two summers they were inseparable, but Fox moved to England to study at Oxford when he was 18. After that it was over. They never saw each other again, at least not until they became partners at the FBI." Skinner looked at the last page. An envelope fell out of the album, revealing a couple of pictures and two letters. Surprised Maggie picked them up. She looked at the pictures, once again of Dana and Fox together, only in this pictures they were 2 or 3 years older. She had never seen them before, turning it over, she read the text that was written on the back. "Fox and me, summer of 1983, one last summer." She mumbled. "I don't understand, I thought they ..." He missed the point once again. "What's wrong?" Without saying anything she took the first letter. It was a letter from Fox to Dana, maybe she wasn't supposed to read this, but she wanted to know what had happened so she decided to read it. Dear Dana, If you read this, you're on your way back home. When I came here earlier this summer I was hoping to see you again, but I knew that there would be a good chance that I wouldn't. After all, it had been so long since we saw each other for the last time. The moment I had given up on ever seeing you again, you were there, all out of nothing, as if you never left. You told me that you were going to get married, I asked for two last weeks and you gave them to me, without another word. But time passes and now the two weeks are over and we had to say goodbye. And this time I know goodbye means forever, it means never seeing you again, never holding you in my arms again, no more waking up next to you in the morning and falling asleep together in the evening. But I knew this at the beginning of these two weeks. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Maybe you expected me to ask you to stay, asking you not to leave, not to marry him, but I couldn't do that. Please don't think that I didn't do that, because I don't love you enough. I do, I didn't, because it wouldn't be fair, not to you, not to me and not to him, and that wouldn't be fair to our love. If you are going home, live your life, be happy. Don't be sad because our love is over, but remember it as something special, remember the special memories we share of the beautiful summers we spend together. Dana, know that I'll never forget you. I'll always remember you as the girl dancing on the beach, the sun shining on your golden hair. I'll love you, now and always. Fox When Maggie read the letter she knew why Dana had never married Brian. A month and a half before the wedding Dana had returned from a holiday at a friend's place. At least that's what she had told everybody, she had said that she had been on her way home from a trip with some school friends, when she had met an old friend from high school who had invited her to stay for a while. But two weeks after that Dana had canceled the wedding, saying that she couldn't marry Brian because she was to young to get married. But Maggie knew now that there had been other reasons for Dana to cancel the wedding. She opened the other letter, a letter from Dana to Fox, which had been written but had apparently never been send. Dear Fox, You'll probably never read this letter, I wouldn't even know where to send it, but I have to write it, maybe only to have the feeling that I did tell you. Yesterday would have been the day that Brian and I were getting married. But we didn't. I canceled the wedding, because I couldn't go on with it. I told him I couldn't because I find myself to young to get married right now. But I know that's not the reason. The true reason is that I couldn't because of you, how can you marry somebody if you are in love with somebody else? You told me that it wouldn't be fair to stay with you because of Brian, but is it fair to give somebody the hope on something that will never be there? I don't think it is. I don't want to be the one to tell him in 1, 2 or maybe even 10 years that it's over between us, that I've tried but that it didn't work after all. I know you told me to live my life in happiness, not to be sad because it's over, but to remember the happy memories we shared. And I want to, really I do, believe me I've tried really hard, but it isn't working. I can tell myself a thousand times that I have to forget, but if it were only that simple .... Wouldn't that be easy, one day you remember something you don't want to remember and the next day when you wake up you don't remember it anymore. But if that would happen I would not only forget the pain, but also the happy memories. And I couldn't give up on that, not ever. How can I give up on something so strong, how can I forget the look in your eyes when we said goodbye? Maybe I should just give it time, they say that time cures all things, I hope that that saying is right, because right now I don't see it. But whatever will happen, whatever I'll do with my life I know one thing for sure. I was loved and I am loved, by you and that's something I'll always remember. Love Dana 

After reading the other letter, Maggie said softly, not really talking to anybody in specific: "She went back, that's why she couldn't marry him." "They had plans to get married?" Skinner's voice came out of nowhere, at least that's what it seemed like to Maggie who had been lost in her thoughts. "No, I'm sorry, let me explain it to you. After her first year of college Dana was going to get married to her boyfriend Brian. The plans for the wedding were made, things had been arranged. 2,5 months before the wedding she went on a trip with some school friends. It was supposed to be a short trip, only a week, but she returned two weeks later then planned. She called to tell that she had met an old friend from high school, who had asked her to stay for a while. Two weeks after she returned she canceled the wedding, saying she was to young to get married. But she couldn't marry Brian, because of Fox. That's where she was in those 2 weeks, that's what these letters are about, but she never told anybody about it." Maggie showed him the letters. Skinner took a quick look at them, then said: "I think you should give this letter to Mulder, he has the right to read this." "I think you're right." The moment she said it, the phone rang. She stood up to pick it up. "Hello?" "Mrs. Scully, your daughter came out of her coma 5 minutes ago, she's been asking for you." "I'll be right there." Maggie hang up the phone, a big smile slowly spreading across her face. Skinner immediately knew what had happened. "She woke up?" "Yes she did, come on let's go to the hospital." She grabbed her coat, walking to the car, then running back again to take the photo album with her. They arrived at the hospital at the same time Mulder did. Maggie wondered how hard he had been driving, since he was probably called around the same time as they were, only he lived half an hour further away from the hospital then she did. When they entered the hospital room, Dana opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes went from her mother to Mulder and to Skinner. A smile spread across her face and her eyes lightened when she saw Mulder. "Hi", she whispered softly. To everybody, but especially to Mulder. He grinned at her. "Hi, good to see your back from la-la land again." He said it jokingly, but his eyes were showing something different. Relief and happiness, because she was back again, and most of all his eyes showed love. "I couldn't stay there forever, could I?" She joked, but her eyes where also saying something different, then she said: "Hi mom, Sir." Her mother hugged her quickly, the photo album still in her hands. "Hi honey, I'm glad you decided to come back." Dana looked at the photo album in wonder, the album looked very familiar to her, but she didn't know so soon why it looked so familiar. "Mom, what is that you're carrying with you?" Maggie looked at the album. "This? Oh I found it in your old room, it's an old photo album, I'll leave it here so that you can take a look at it when you want to o.k.?" She nodded. "O.k., thanks mom." "You're welcome honey, we're leaving now, you will need your rest." She kissed her daughter on the cheek and Skinner said goodbye too. Mulder said goodbye and wanted to walk out of the room too, but Dana stopped him. "Mulder wait" He was half way through the room when she said it, he turned around to look at her: "What's wrong?" "I don't want you to leave." "Why not?" "I want to show you something. Could you give me that album?" He wondered what it was, but took the album from the table and gave it to her. She slowly opened it and said: "These are all the pictures that I have from the summers in Chilmark." 

He opened his mouth to say something, but she interrupted him before > he could say anything, by opening an envelope that was also in the > album, taking out a letter and handing it to him. "Would you please > read this letter first, before you say anything else?" 

> > He took the letter from her and started to read it. After reading the > letter Mulder knew why she had never married Brian. 

> > When she became his partner he had recognized her of course, she had > been such a big part of his life once. For reasons he couldn't explain > they never talked about it, maybe they were both to afraid of talking > about memories they cherished, to afraid that when they would do that > somehow good memories wouldn't be so good anymore. That it had all > been just a dream. 

> > He had asked her only once. Right after the first time they had seen > each other again he had asker her how Brian was doing. All she had > said was "It didn't work out between us." And he hadn't asked more, > from her file he had learned that she wasn't divorced, so she had > never even married Brian. But he never dared to ask her why not, > too afraid for the answer. What if valuable time had been wasted > in all those years? 

> > That's why he never asked. The idea that they could have spend that > valuable time together, and that they hadn't had been unbearable. 

> > And now he realized that maybe he should have asked, because now he > had wasted even more time. But time past won't return, maybe all they > should look at was their future together now. 

> > He already knew, but he had to say it, wanting to know what her answer > was going to be. 

> > "You never married him." 

"No, I couldn't, I didn't love him, I loved you and being without you hurt so much." "So you canceled the wedding." She nodded. "Yes, it was the only thing I could do, I'm sorry, I know you told me to go on with my life, to remember the happy memories, but..." He stopped her words by putting his finger on her lips. "Shh, stop excusing yourself for what you did, I'm glad you didn't marry him." "You are?" "Of course, if you would have married him, you would probably never have joined the FBI, and then I would never have seen you again." "And now?" "Now I'm going to do the only sensible thing I can do right now." He grinned. She knew what was coming and grinned to. "Oh really, and what would that be." "Let me show you." He lowered his face to hers, whispering softly: "I love you Dana." She felt his breath and felt his lips brush hers. He kissed her tenderly. When he stopped, she mumbled smiling against his mouth: "I love you to, Fox." And at that moment they were back in time, the boy and girl that had fallen in love on the beach in Chilmark, knowing that that love had survived all the years without each other and which was still there, stronger then ever. The End Epilogue TWO WEEKS LATER CHILMARK They were walking on that beach again. Arms around each other. All of a sudden he stopped walking. She looked up, wondering why he stopped. Then he said: "Dance with me." She smiled, and looked up at him. "Always" And as they danced again on the beach, time stood still. * The first time that I saw you - You were dancin' on the beach Poetry in motion But you seemed so out of reach And the waves were breakin' 'round you In the California sunset I made a wish to know you And touch your golden hair You turned around and looked at me And paradise was there Baby I remember the way you took my hand Yesterday Time stood still As we walked into the night together The memory is locked in our hearts forever It seems just like yesterday Time stood still We found a little seaside bar High above the rocks You were drinking white wine And I was doing shots I wondered if you'd stay the night You just took my hand and led the way Time stood still As we made love through the night together The memory is locked in our hearts forever Time stood still Time stood still The memory is locked in our hearts forever Oh yeah I thought that I'd seen love before But what you showed me Well that's something more Love found two strangers walking on the shore We threw our watches in the sea I looked at you you looked at me And time stood still We made a fire on the beach that night And watched the seagulls circle in the morning light Maybe there are some things we're not meant to understand Anyway Time stood still But love goes on forever The memory is burned in our hearts forever Oh yes Time stood still The moment's gone forever But I will love you till Time stands still in our hearts forever Oh yeah Time stood still Time stood still Time stands still in our hearts forever Seems just like yesterday Time stood still Time stands still Time stood still Oh yeah Time stood still Forever... 

* Bad English - 

Please tell me what you think of it, I love getting e-mail and hearing what people think of my stories. My e-mail addy is: voet@tanja-myrna.demon.nl 

This story and more stories can also be found on my homepage: http://www.angelfire.com/oh/xfshippers/index.html 


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